The present invention relates generally to devices which facilitate bedside infection control in hospitals, and, more particularly, to a device which provides for safe and convenient transport of a used hypodermic needle or the like from a patient's bedside after use in, for example, administering medication or collecting blood to the point of ultimate disposal of such needles.
With the widespread use of disposable medical implements, particularly hypodermic needles, a definite need has developed for ways to safely and conveniently handle and transport such implements after use, so that disposal can be effected without risk of exposing any person handling the used implements to injury, infection or disease by puncture or contact with a used needle or syringe. The tragic outbreak of the highly contagious AIDS disease has dramatically hightened the need for safer handling, storage and disposal of such implements.
In today's hospitals, a wide variety of disposable needle and syringe devices are routinely used to administer medication by injection and intravenous ("I.V.") procedures, and for intravenous blood collection. Once an injection is given, a blood sample drawn, or an I.V. needle removed from a patient, both the needle and/or syringe used in the procedure may be contaminated and must be disposed of in a safe manner.
It had once been common practice to break or cut the needle after use before transport to ultimate disposal in order to eliminate the sharp end point so as to reduce the risk of puncture, scratching or other injury which might result from handling. However, the very act of breaking or cutting the needles gives rise to a substantial danger that accidental puncture might occur during the breaking or cutting operations, thus exposing the holder to possible injury and, further, to possible infection or disease as a result of such puncture. In addition, residual medication or blood in the needle or the syringe can splatter onto the person or his clothes, and, potentially harmful fumes from the residual medication could be inhaled as a result of the so-called aerosol effect. Furthermore, the blades of the cutting tool are now recognized as a breeding ground for germs, bacteria and other disease-causing micro-organisms to which an unsuspecting person cutting the needle could be unnecessarily exposed.
Recently, an even greater danger has been recognized in connection with the handling and disposal of used needles as well as other sharp medical implements. It is now recognized that certain diseases, most notably Hepatitis B, can be transmitted by covert percutaneous--i.e., by merely contacting the contaminated needle or implement.
While the used needle portion presents the most significant risk of injury or infection through accidental puncture or scratching of a person's skin, the used syringe part may also present a risk of infection. For example, a used syringe can contain residual blood or medication which, if exposed to a person's skin, may be absorbed topically (particularly if a cut or break in the skin is present) and may cause a serious internal infection or other reaction. Thus, even where such a needle removal and storage device is employed, the used syringe will still require independent, safe disposal.
As a result of the foregoing dangers, it is preferred current practice to dispose of such devices in-tact, without dismantling them. However, in disposing of the whole hypodermic needle and syringe, the used needle has sometimes been recapped before disposal with the same protective sheath that was used during shipment from the manufacturer. The resheathing was intended to prevent possible injury while a person carries the needle to a suitable disposal unit. This practice itself, however, can result in accidental puncture or contact while the needle point is being resheathed. Because of this danger it is now recommended by the Center For Disease Control ("C.D.C.") that needles not be resheathed after use.
In this regard, the C.D.C. has been strongly urging hospitals to provide in-room receptacles for disposal of used needle/syringe assemblies in-tact, without recapping the needle. While such disposal devices have been generally satisfactory, they may still have a few shortcomings. In-room disposal devices can be costly and require permanent installation in a patient's room. Moreover, in-room receptacles may not eliminate the inherent risk of contaminating contact or accidental puncture associated with the manual transport of an exposed used needle/syringe assembly even a short distance from the patient's bedside.
Most importantly, the nurse, as a practical matter, almost always has important duties to perform immediately after giving an injection or drawing blood (such as treating the injected area, covering the exposed patient, etc.) which makes walking to a receptacle to dispose of a used needle a lesser priority, and thereby increases the risk that an exposed needle will be left on a nearby table or even on the patient's bed. This could be particularly hazardous in the case of medical personnel who leave used needle/syringe assemblies unattended in a psychiatric patient's room for even a few seconds while attending to other duties within or without the patient's room.
Additionally, there may be instances where a disposal device for the whole needle/syringe assembly is not desired. For example, in emergency rooms, the urgency of a particular emergency situation may not permit time to seek out an appropriate disposal unit for the used needle/syringe assembly In the absence of an immediately available disposal device it is likely that the used needle could be left lying unattended and unsecured, or an attempt might be made to resheath the needle. In either event, there are substantial risks of accidental puncture by or contact with contaminated needles
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new transport device for temporarily holding a used needle or other "sharps" implements in a safe manner until its ultimate disposal.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a new sharps transport device for conveniently and safely storing and transporting used hypodermic needles and syringes, as well as butterfly or other intravenous-type needle assemblies, to ultimate disposal without exposing the person handling the device to the risk of injury, infection or disease by puncture or contact with the used needle or syringe.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new sharps transport device for conveniently and safely securing, for transport, used needle/syringe assemblies to ultimate disposal, in-tact, thus eliminating both the need for potentially costly in-room disposal receptacles, and/or the risk of accidental puncture or contact with a contaminated needle inherent during manual transport to such disposal devices even though there may only be a short distance to the disposal device. In addition, the sharps transport device of the present invention provides means whereby a used needle can be rendered virtually harmless immediately after use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new sharps transport device for storing and transporting used needles and syringes to ultimate disposal which is compact in size so as to be easily locked inside a standard hospital medication cart when unattended, thus obviating the risks caused by leaving unattended receptacles in patient's rooms.
The foregoing specific objects and advantages of the invention are illustrative of those which can be achieved by the present invention and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the possible advantages which can be realized. Thus, these and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description herein or can be learned from practicing the invention, both as embodied herein or as modified in view of any variations which may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention resides in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.